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The Storm forward Eli Katoa has been officially ruled out the entire 2026 rugby league season as he focuses on rehabilitation at home in Victoria, following returning from a extended period in Auckland where he underwent brain surgery.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old sustained three head impacts in a single afternoon while playing for Tonga in a Pacific Championship fixture versus New Zealand. This led to seizures while on the sideline, necessitating emergency medical attention.

A medical operation to address a brain bleed resulted in the player in the hospital and initially unable to travel to his club base.

The club revealed this week that the forward has now come back and is on the mend, having also made a brief visit to a local medical facility.

“His health and recovery are our number one priority,” stated the club's chief executive a team official. “We are thrilled to have him home safely and under the supervision of our medical staff and local specialists.”

The Road to Recovery

Rodski noted that the player is making daily progress and is eager to continuing his rehabilitation from home.

However, the executive confirmed that there is no set timeline for his return to health or a comeback to the field.

“After discussions with our medical team and neuro specialists, Eli will not return to practice during the preseason and is ruled out for the 2026 season,” he emphasized. “He has a long road ahead ahead of him, and his focus will be on achieving complete wellness prior to contemplating a potential comeback to training.”

Rodski finished by saying that Eli is a highly valued and respected part of the squad and club, and that the entire club will rally around him and assist him during his rehabilitation period.

League Investigation

The NRL is wrapping up its inquiry into the events that led to the required neurosurgery.

The powerful forward, who was named in the competition’s team of the year at the recent Dally M awards, seemed to sustain a head injury during the warm-up for the Pacific Championship match.

Despite this, Katoa was allowed to play in the game and suffered two additional blows to the head before being substituted in the later stages.

Katoa’s condition worsened rapidly, and he needed medical oxygen on the sideline before being taken off on a medicab.

The league has attempted to address concerns around concussions in the sport in recent years, introducing crackdowns on dangerous contact and lengthening the post-concussion stand down period for injured athletes.